ROURKELA: As if shortage of experienced doctors is not bad enough, patient care services at the Sundargarh Government Medical College & Hospital (SGMCH) at Sundargarh town are further crippled due to inadequate facilities and department-specific equipment.
If sources are to be believed, the 330-bedded medical institution suffers from critical deficiencies as the operation theatres of the labour room and gynaecology, paediatric intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit, medicine and surgical ICUs are either not fully functional or defunct. There is no trauma, cardiac and burn centre yet. CT scan facility is also missing. As a silver lining, the radiology services started.
The SGMCH also suffers from lack of availability of department-specific equipment. For instance the dental department could not be started in absence of equipment including dental chair. The functioning of ophthalmology and orthopaedic departments are also partially affected in absence of certain equipment which are expected to be supplied by the Odisha State Medical Corporation.
Sources claimed that in absence of introduction of PG courses, super specialty services remain a far cry. There is continuous pressure from the state government and public to operationalise emergency services. But the institute authorities’ hands are tied as no doctors have been provided for the casualty and if faculty doctors are drawn for the purpose, then medical education would be affected.
The SGMCH started its first academic batch of 100 MBBS students in 2022-23 sessions with provisions for five years course and one year internship. Now the process is underway for admission of fourth batch in the 2025-26 to take the student strength to 400.
From next year, when student strength rises, the institute would face acute shortage of student accommodation with the current hostel capacity at 350. In the event of the institute introducing PG education in near future, it would require additional hostel facility for students and residential quarters for additional teachers.
Sources said, initially phase-wise posting of doctors were made to meet the need of first and second year students. With year-wise rise in student intake, more posting of doctors with staff quarters are felt. For paramedical staff, there are not enough staff quarters.
MCH superintendent Prof NC Sahani said the government has been apprised of the resource and manpower needs of the institute and said necessary measures are being taken up in a phased manner.